Ecuador to go into polls for new President on Sunday

People in Ecuador will proceed to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president between widespread discontent over the country's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, an economic crisis exacerbated by COVID-19, and several corruption scandals.

Sixteen presidential candidates will run, although most have asked for support below two percent and are not expected to be the biggest candidates on polling day.

The race is forming a battle between former banker and longtime hopeful President Guillermo Lasso, and Andres Arauz, an economist and former central bank chief, who is leading by about 25 to 30 percent in the latest polls.

Lasso, with the right-wing party Creating Opportunities (CREO), promised to create jobs through more international investment and oil exploration projects, while Arauz of the Democratic Center Party promised to return to the socialist policies of former president Rafael Correa.

Third in recent polls, with about 10 to 15 percentage points behind the pair, is Yaku Perez of Pachakutik, the party of the indigenous movement in the country, known for its opposition to mining and support for greater environmental protection.

According to experts, it is unlikely that anyone will get the support of 40 percent and at least a ten-point lead over their opponents needed to win the presidency, which means that a run-off on April 11 will be held between the two leading candidates word.

The election will be watched by more than 2,500 local and 225 international witnesses, including the Organization of American States, the European Union, and the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations.

Citizens will also select administrators to fill 137 positions in the National Assembly.

Whoever wins will have to undertake several weighting challenges, including extensive public dissatisfaction; more than 89 percent of Ecuadorians state the country is on the obverse track, according to a Cedatos firm poll in December.

"Corruption was permanent and scandals were constantly appearing in the media," said Decio Machado, a political analyst in Quito, the capital. "People today have a lot of mistrust in politics."

Current president Lenin Moreno, who is not eligible for re-election, will end his single term drastically unpopular. His approval rating has long been around seven percent, up from 77 percent in his first months in power.

Moreno was elected in 2017 as the replacement to Correa, who expanded public spending, severed ties with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, and endorsed local integration with other socialist countries in Latin America.